


On Dreaming, Awake

by jg291



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-08
Updated: 2013-03-08
Packaged: 2017-12-04 16:04:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/712541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jg291/pseuds/jg291
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Alfred doesn't walk in and Jimmy sleeps naked, but Jimmy doesn't realize he is awake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Dreaming, Awake

Jimmy opened his eyes feeling an unfamiliar sensation. It was dark, so he couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, but as his senses starting come to, he noticed the faint smell of cigars in the air, a hand on his shoulder, and…. a tongue across his teeth, trying to make its way into his mouth?

Well, this was a familiar dream. But why was he downstairs in his regular bed and not upstairs in oh-so-comfortable four-posters he had to tidy up everyday? Maybe not so familiar. Was somebody actually in his room?

The figure shifted and stopped blocking the light. Jimmy’s eyes took a few seconds to focus, but then he couldn’t believe what he saw. “Mr. Barrow?” 

Okay, good, he was dreaming after all.

\----------

 

Still, the definitely dreaming Jimmy decided to be inquisitive, and figure out what was going on. “Mr. Barrow,” Jimmy started to ask before realizing that he should obviously refer to the dream version of the older man as Thomas, “why are you in my dream?”

“Oh, so you do dream about me? That’s nice to hear, my dear,” Thomas drawled with a smirk, but only after tearing his tongue away from Jimmy’s mouth.

Good. It was really hard to talk with a tongue in his mouth. 

“That did not answer my question,” Jimmy pouted, still unclear as to why the bed was regular and not delightfully comfortable. 

“I finally got the courage to do something about our feelings for each other,” Thomas said slowly, as he was trying to figure out what to say next. 

Weird. Dream people are supposed to be more spontaneous.

“Seeing as how you are not repulsed, or pushing me away, or screaming, I guess I made the right decision, didn’t I?” 

“I… don’t care for men.” Dream Jimmy instantly regretted this. Awake Jimmy might feel this way, but Dream Jimmy was strangely enjoy Thomas’s tongue where it was before. 

“Oh yeah, love? Then care to explain how the sheet is far so far above your body in the middle region?”

Jimmy glanced down, first over the sheet, then under it. Oh dear. He was definitely more excited about an illicit Thomas in his room than he could ever imagine being. Thank god it was hot that night, and Jimmy decided to sleep naked. His knickers would definitely not be able to handle what was happening right now.   
Jimmy then realized how unfair was the situation he found himself in. He was completely naked, and Dream Thomas was fully clothed. 

Emboldened by the sensation building in his nether regions, Jimmy decided to take action. 

“Thomas, I have… officially decided that our present situation is not acceptable,” Jimmy said in what his mum always called his “big guy” voice when he was growing up.

“Okay, Jimmy, what’d ya suggest we do about that?”

“Two options. 1 – Get to my level of nakedness. 2 – Figure out a good reason for me to be so naked, with you being so clothed.”

Thomas literally could not believe what he was hearing. He at best thought Jimmy would kiss him back, at worse thought Jimmy would scream and try to get away, and but sort of expected him to be flattered but tell him he wasn’t interested. Instead, he finds a completely unclothed Jimmy basically demanding that Thomas please the younger man. 

His brain is in overload, but Thomas quickly decides not to take too much from Jimmy on their first encounter. He pulls the sheet down, revealing the footman’s naked glory but causing Jimmy to shiver from the little gust Thomas inadvertently created. Thomas basically has to force himself not to devour Jimmy right there.

He settles on straddling, instead.

\----------

 

Jimmy is a little confused. Normally his dreams feature a girl – no, not a girl, a lady. Lady Mary appears a few nights a week, and no wonder he keeps tripping up in the dining room. Is this new dream going to screw up his work everywhere, not just at dinner? 

And then his thoughts disappear when (a fully clothed) Thomas is on top of him (why did he have to take option 2???). Jimmy starts to pout as he feels Thomas’s trousers upon his leg. And then he feels Thomas’s wonderful tongue not in his mouth, but on his tip, then up and down his shaft, and up, and down, and ohhhhhhh. Lady Mary’s kisses will *never* compare to this. 

Jimmy’s body is confused. He’s young, so he should last longer, but it’s been a long time since someone touched him, kissed him, made him feel so, so good. Why hasn’t he been dreaming like this before? Hopefully it will happen again.

In what feels like a just a few seconds, Jimmy finishes, not all over himself like would be normal, but straight into Thomas’s glorious, glorious mouth.

A few moments later, Thomas is lazily peering up from the awkward angle he found himself in, a smirk on his face.

“Is that good enough reason for you to be naked and me not, my boy?” 

“Yes, Thomas. Yes indeed.” 

And with that, Thomas leaned up, kissed Jimmy on the mouth again, and got up from the bed and told him he better be off so they can get some sleep before the big day of silver polishing. 

As Thomas got up, Jimmy could feel the warmth slipping away. Why would a dream figure be warm?

\----------

Jimmy awoke to the terrible sound of Alfred banging on his door, telling him to hurry out of bed. Normally he could get up on his own, but for some reason, Jimmy felt exhausted today.

Did he not sleep well, or something? 

\----------

Breakfast was a mess. Jimmy was so tired he could barely keep his face out of his oatmeal. To make matters worse, he found himself sitting next to Carson, who just kept muttering about how the silver would be polished by a sleeping footman. 

Thomas kept looking toward him, though his expressions change each time. Sometimes it looked like anger, sometimes eagerness, sometimes something a little predatory. Could Thomas possibly be looking at him with desire?

Jimmy and Alfred had been polishing the silver for about three hours when Alfred decided to take his lunch break – it was Ivy’s time to eat before she started preparing supper, after all. Jimmy decided to enjoy the alone time, as he hated putting up with Alfred sputtering about this and puttering about that.

Then Thomas walked in, and the temperature in the room seemed to change. Jimmy felt, well, hot.

“Hello, Jimmy. I’ve been waiting all morning to get you alone.”

“Why, Mr. Barrow, was there something you want to talk about?”

“Coy, I like it. But you don’t need to play coy with me, Jimmy, no one will come in for a while.”

“Mr. Barrow, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Jimmy, after last night, you really think you need to call me Mr. Barrow when we’re in public? I’m not your superior anymore...” With that, Thomas seemed to find a glint in his eye. “…unless you want me to be.”

“Last night? Mr. – Thomas, please explain to me what you’re talking about?”

All of a sudden, Thomas sat down on one of the grand chairs, looking deflated. 

“Jimmy, please tell me you’re joking. Please tell me you didn’t forget our night together in your slumber.” 

Jimmy could not be more confused. Last night? Together? He didn’t go anywhere last night. He slept in his bed, and he slept…naked, and his handkerchief was rumpled up when he woke up. What had happened?

And yet, when Thomas said the words “night together,” Jimmy gave an involuntary shudder, one that could only remind Thomas of what had happened in the night. 

Thomas’ smirk reappeared, looking like his normal self again. 

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to make you remember.”

\----------

Yes, that look in Thomas’s eyes – it was definitely desire.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in a while, and my first Downton fic. I have a sequel/next chapter planned in my head that involves Thomas trying creative ways to get Jimmy to remember what had happened. Any interest?


End file.
